Posted - 2010.04.11 20:04:00 - [1]

 

Introduction
This is a proposal to adjust the look and function of the autopilot interface, as shown in the picture below. I find the interface lacking in some aspects, and am making a suggestion to the overall feel and function of the interface. My suggestions are listed below, regarding the autopilot interface.

Current Destination
You all know what the current interface looks like:
Please visit your user settings to re-enable images.

The current destination section of this interface is a little confusing when you have multiple waypoints. It is correct when you only have 1 waypoint, displaying that waypoint correctly and issuing this information well, but in the picture above, you cannot tell that I have 2 waypoints setup, one to Haatomo, and one to Piak. The current destination would actually be Haatomo, then Piak. I suggest that a better execution would be to list the waypoints of your autopilot with the sec status, constellation, region, and the total jumps to reach the waypoint. In example:

Current Destination:
Waypoint 1: Haatomo, Tansen, The Citadel, 0.6, 1 jump
Waypoint 2: Piak, Minnen, Lonetrek, 0.7, 11 jumps
Total Jumps: Total Jumps

Or just even Solar System and sec status (I hardly ever care about what constellation I’m in, and rarely need to know the region of my destination). This would be more beneficial in listing all your current waypoints, so that you know at a glance where your actual destination is, not just where your last waypoint is. I find it very irritating that I have to look in the solar system map and under the autopilot settings to find my waypoints that I’ve set up.

Even better would be to make the Solar System an Autolink to its Show Info page, if you need to have all the information associated with those waypoints.

Next System in Route
The other part of the Interface is fine, but Next system in route is erroneously displaying the total jumps. If it’s the next system to my destination, why is it showing “(12 Jumps)”? Why not make a field for this just before the “Next system in route”?

I do like the security status indicators for all systems being traveled through on the left side.

New look Proposed
So I propose a new look to this interface:

Current Destination
Waypoint 1: System Name (with an autolink to the system information), Security Status, Jumps
…
Waypoint N: System Name (with an autolink to the system information), Security Status, Jumps
Total Jumps: Total Jumps

Next System in Route
Solar System: System Name
Region: System Region
Security Status: System Security Status

I think the players would benefit from this new design. It would function much better compared to the current interface and be more user friendly.